Month: August 2018

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE

WORLD PREMIÈRE OF WOMEN IN POWER

A Nuffield Southampton Theatres production in association with Oxford Playhouse

The World Première production

WOMEN IN POWER – A MUSICAL COMEDY

Based on The Assemblywomen by Aristophanes

Written by Wendy Cope, Jenny Eclair, Suhayla El-Bushra, Natalie Haynes, Shappi Khorsandi,

Jess Phillips MP and Brona C Titley

 

Director: Blanche McIntyre; Dramaturg: Clare Slater; Composer: Tim Sutton;

Designer: Jasmine Swan

Director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres (NST), Samuel Hodges, today announces full casting for the world première of Women in Power. NST Associate Director Blanche McIntyre directs Lydia Bewley, best known for The Inbetweeners, Plebs and E4’s comedy Drifters, Elizabeth Boag, Anna Fordham, Lisa Kerr, Anne Odeke and Alicia Mckenzie. The production, in association with Oxford Playhouse, sees some of the UK’s most influential female voices, Wendy Cope, Jenny Eclair, Suhayla El-Bushra, Natalie Haynes, Shappi Khorsandi, Jess Phillips MP and Brona C Titley, come together to write this musical comedy based on the Greek classic, The Assemblywomen. The production opens on 13 September at NST City, with previews from 6 September and runs until 29 September. It will then run at Oxford Playhouse from 3 – 6 October.

The country is in political turmoil. Recent wars and alliances have left Athenians no option but to take the most extreme action. The most radical: a government of women!

Strategia masterminds and leads a daring coup d’état, outlining her utopian vision of total equality to her crowd of cross-dressing collaborators. A world where power imbalance is eradicated and with it debt, greed and theft. But this has unintended and hilarious consequences.

Women in Power is a raucous new musical comedy, and a reimagining of the original, by a team of leading female writers from the world of poetry, broadcasting, theatre and stand up. Combined with an exceptional comic cast and led by NST Associate Blanche McIntyre, Aristophanes’ Women in Power is turned into a celebration of sketches with songs, dance, music and women taking the lead.

Women in Power will open the Bungalow Café Festival – a new arts festival in Southampton to celebrate 100 years since the first British Women won the right to vote.

Lydia Bewley’s theatre credits include The River Line (Jermyn Street Theatre). Her television credits include Plebs, Drifters, The Royals, Top Coppers, Code of a Killer, I Live With Models and Drunk History; and for film, The Inbetweeners Movie and The Inbetweeners 2.

Elizabeth Boag’s theatre credits include Break of Noon (Finborough), Invincible, Hero’s Welcome, Confusions, Arrivals and Departures, Farcicals (UK and US tour), Roundelay (UK tour), Private Thoughts in Public Places (Oval House), Lilies On The Land (Arts Theatre), Stella (Southwark Playhouse) and The 24 Hour Plays (The Old Vic). Television credits include Joe’s Palace and Stuart: A Life Backwards; and for film, Chasing Robert Barker and Scrawl.

Anna Fordham returns to the theatre following Fantastic Mr Fox (NST/Curve/Lyric Hammersmith/UK tour). Other theatre credits include The Borrowers (Watermill Theatre), Foreverland (Theatre503) and Urinetown (Stratford Circus) and for television as a series regular in The Athena.

Lisa Kerr’s credits for theatre includes The Dog Show (Kandinsky Theatre/New Diorama), Far From The Madding Crowd (The Watermill Theatre), Lionboy (Complicité /Tricycle Theatre/world tour), The Magic Flute (Complicité / Festival d’Aix-en-Provence), Cinderella (Olivier nominated co-production, St James Theatre/Tobacco Factory), Our Country’s Good (St James Theatre/Out Of Joint), Top Girls(Trafalgar Studios / Chichester Festival / Out Of Joint), Andersen’s English (Hampstead Theatre/Out Of Joint). Television credits include the upcoming Spoof or Die; and for film, The Unfolding and Reuniting the Rubins.

Anne Odeke’s theatre credits include The Secret Keeper (Oval House and UK tour), Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Storyhouse), Winnie and Wilbur (Birmingham Rep), Night Must Fall (UK tour), The Crucible (Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh), Next Lesson (Pleasance Theatre), You Should Be So Lucky (Above the Stag), The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare’s Globe), Women of Troy (The Scoop), and Finian’s Rainbow (The Union Theatre/Charing Cross Theatre).

Alicia McKenzie’s work in theatre includes Whisky Galore (Oldham Coliseum, Hull Truck, New Vic and UK tour), A Christmas Carol (Stephen Joseph Theatre), Fuse (Crucible, Sheffield), Macbeth(Infinite Jest – London and Holland), The Life and Death of Martin Luther King (TNT – European tour),The White Witch of Rose Hall (Broadway Theatre), In a Pickle (Royal Shakespeare Theatre and UK tour), and Ring a Ding Ding (Unicorn Theatre, UK tour and New York); and for film, You Can Do Better, Asylum and In a Rush.

 

Wendy Cope is an award-winning poet. Her first collection of poems, Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis, were published in 1986. Titles include Serious Concerns, If I Don’t Know, Two Cures for Love: Selected Poems 1979-2006, Life, Love and the Archers and Family Values. Her most recent collection, Anecdotal Evidence, was published earlier this year.

 

Jenny Eclair is an award-winning comedienne and has most recently been seen touring the UK with her new show How to be A Middle Aged Woman (Without Going Insane). As a writer her novels include Moving, Camberwell Beauty, Having a Lovely Time, Life Death and Vanilla Slices. Television credits include Storage Hunters UK Celebrity Special, Alan Davies as Yet Untitled, QI, Battlechefs, Fifteen to One, Celebrity Masterchef, It was Alright In the 80’s, Countdown, The Joan Rivers Positionand Room 101. For theatre her credits include Steaming (Piccadilly Theatre), Mum’s the Word(Albery Theatre) and The Vagina Monologues (Wyndhams Theatre).

 

Suhayla El-Bushra is a screenwriter and playwright. Recent stage work includes Arabian Nights(Royal Lyceum Theatre), The Suicide (National Theatre), The Iphigenia Quartet (Gate Theatre, London). Pigeons (Royal Court Theatre), Cuckoo (Unicorn Theatre) and The Kilburn Passion (Tricycle Theatre). She is currently under commission from Out Of Joint, English Touring Theatre, The National Theatre and The Bridge Theatre. She has been a core writer on C4 shows Ackley Bridge and Hollyoaks and has just made a short with Film4. She has various film and TV projects in development.

 

Natalie Haynes is a writer and broadcaster. Her first novel, The Amber Fury, was published to great acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic, as was The Ancient Guide to Modern Life, her previous book. Her second novel The Children of Jocasta, a reimagining of the tales of Oedipus and Antigone, was published in 2018. She is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4, reviewing for Front Row and Saturday Review and has appeared as a team captain on three seasons of Wordaholics. A second series of her show, Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics, will be broadcast on Radio 4 next year. Her documentary on the Defining Beauty exhibition at the British Museum, Secret Knowledge: The Body Beautiful aired in 2015 on BBC4 in the UK and on BBC World News everywhere else.

Shappi Khorsandi quickly established herself as one of the country’s finest comedians in 2006 with her sell out Edinburgh show, Asylum Speaker, and, in 2007 went on to win Best Breakthrough Act at the Chortle Awards. That same year, she took her show Carry on Shappi to the Fringe and then on to  Soho Theatre. Her television credits include I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, Mock The Week, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Have I Got News For You, QI, Live At The Apollo & Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.  Her screenwriting debut was in the form of Sky’s Little Crackers.

Jess Phillips was elected the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley in 2015 and has since been re-elected in 2017. Before this, she worked with victims of domestic violence sexual violence and human trafficking, and continues to speak out on behalf of those who struggle to have their voice heard, most recently on the subject of abortion and online trolling. She has worked with the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Communities and Local Government on issues of Violence Against Women and Girls. Phillips was one of the women who launched the #NotTheCost campaign to combat the violence faced by politically active women, and the Recl@im The Internet campaign, which challenges online abuse. Her first book, Everywoman: One Woman’s Truth About Speaking The Truth, was published to great acclaim in 2017.

 

Brona C Titley is an award-winning writer and is currently Head Writer on Next Week’s News with Merman, whilst also writing on Tracey Breaks the News for BBC and a new series for Nickelodeon. She has most recently been working on The Mash Report, 8 Out of 10 Cats and with Disney on several projects including The Lodge, for which she wrote a newly broadcast episode. Further television writing includes Harry Hill’s Alien Fun Capsule, Host the Week, Dave Gorman’s Modern Life is Goodish, Newzoids and Off Their Rockers, along with the script for the BAFTA Television Awards.

Blanche McIntyre directs. Previous credits for Nuffield Southampton Theatres include Noises Off, Tonight at 8.30 and The Nutcracker. Other theatre credits include The Norman Conquests(Chichester Festival Theatre), Titus Andronicus and The Two Noble Kinsmen (RSC), Welcome Home Captain Fox! (Donmar Warehouse), The Oresteia (HOME Manchester), As You Like It and The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare’s Globe), Arcadia (Ambassador Theatre Group), The Seagull(Headlong), Accolade (St James Theatre), Repentance/Behind the Lines (Bush Theatre), Ciphers (Out of Joint), The Birthday Party (Manchester Royal Exchange), Foxfinder, Accolade and Moliere or The League of Hypocrites (Finborough Theatre), Liar Liar (Unicorn Theatre), The Only True History of Lizzie Finn and Open Heart Surgery (Southwark Playhouse), The Seven Year Itch (Salisbury Playhouse), When Did You Last See My Mother? (Trafalgar Studios); and for film as a writer, The Hippopotamus.

Clare Slater is the Literary Manager at the Donmar Warehouse in London. She also works as a freelance adaptor and dramaturg. Credits include Becoming: Part One (Donmar Warehouse), The Unknown Island, Here’s How It All Began, Idomeneus (Gate, Notting Hill), The Last Mermaid, Man To Man (Wales Millennium Centre), Lotty’s War (UK tour), We Have Fallen (Theatre 503/Underbelly). Slater previously worked as Executive Director of the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill and, prior to that, she was the Assistant Literary Manager at the National Theatre and worked in TV and film development with Rare Day. She is currently serving on the Board of the Royal & Derngate, Northampton and sits on the Creative Council of Shakespeare’s Globe.

Tim Sutton is a musical director and composer for theatre and choir. He was the Musical Supervisor for Dusty the Musical, and Musical Director of the 10th anniversary tour of War Horse. He will compose music for Kim Sykes’ production of As You Like It for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2019 season. Recent projects includeTitus Andronicus and The Two Noble Kinsmen (RSC), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (National Theatre) and Alexei Sayle’s Imaginary Sandwich Bar Series 1 & 2, (BBC Radio 4). He collaborated with poet Ian McMillan on the community opera Cycle Song, which won the Royal Philharmonic Society Learning & Participation Award 2012. He was the recipient of the Stiles and Drewe Best Song Prize in 2013. Musical Direction includes The Frogs(Jermyn Street Theatre), Just a Minute Does Panto (BBC Radio 4), Memphis (Shaftesbury Theatre) and The Amen Corner (National Theatre). Other scores for theatre include August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone(Young Vic), The Secret Garden (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Dreamfighter (Lichfield Festival), The Bacchae(National Theatre of Scotland), As You Like It (Wyndham’s Theatre), and As You Desire Me (Playhouse Theatre). He is currently writing Victory, a new musical, with playwright Juliet Gilkes-Romero. He is also an Associate Member of the Inner Magic Circle.

Jasmine Swan was a finalist in the Linbury Prize for Stage Design 2017, working with Phoenix Dance Theatre based in Leeds. She is currently the Laboratory Associate Designer for Nuffield Southampton Theatres 2017/18. Her theatre credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Nuffield Southampton Youth Theatre), Son Of Rambow Workshop Production (NST at The Other Palace), Sleuth (Zoielogic Dance Theatre), Hanna (Regional Tour starting at The Arcola, Papatango), The Passing of the Third Floor Back (Finborough Theatre), Hyem (Theatre503 and Northern Stage), Scene Change Presents: Coming of Age (Liverpool Playhouse Studio), Who’s Afraid Of The Working Class?(Unity Theatre), The Wonderful World of Dissocia (Liverpool Playhouse Studio), Next Door but One(Cornerstone Theatre). Site Specific work includes co-designing the immersive performance art event Subterrania (Palm House, Liverpool) and Fiesta Bombarda (Constellations, Liverpool).

Age recommendation 12 +

Listings 

Nuffield Southampton Theatres

NST City, Above Bar Street, Guildhall Square, Southampton, SO14 7DU

Women in Power – A Musical Comedy

NST City

6 – 29 September

 

 

www.nstheatres.co.uk

Box Office: 023 8067 1771

                      Monday – Friday: 10am – 6pm

      Saturday: 10am – 4pm

Twitter: @nstheatres

Facebook: /nstheatres

Public voting has begun today (7 August) to find the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre 2018, ahead of the annual UK Theatre Awards. Votes can be cast at uktheatre.org/vote until 12:00 on Tuesday 18 September 2018, giving audiences across the country the chance to celebrate their local theatre and its impact on the community.

This year, more than 175 venues across the country – from Bolton to Belfast, Cardiff to Cumbria, Pitlochry to Penzance – are competing to take home the coveted title. The 12 Regional and National winners of the vote will be announced on 28 September 2018, and the overall winner at the UK Theatre Awards, which take place at London’s historic Guildhall on Sunday 14 October.

In 2017 the winner was The Mill at Sonning.

Julian Bird, Chief Executive, UK Theatre, said:

‘Most Welcoming Theatre is a chance for audiences to celebrate their local theatre and for venues to shout about the incredible work they are doing day in day out. Theatres are the backbone of communities across the country and this campaign highlights the vital work they do.’

The UK Theatre Awards are the only nationwide Awards to honour outstanding achievement in theatre throughout the United Kingdom. The Awards are supported by White Light, Q-Park, Theatre Tokens, John Good, Harbottle & Lewis and Integro in association with Chubb.

For more information on the UK Theatre Awards and to book tickets to the ceremony visit the UK Theatre Awards website.

The UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award 2018 is sponsored by Theatre Tokens

A selection of production images for Little Shop of Horrors at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre have been made available

Little Shop of Horrors

 

Now extended until 22 September 2018

 

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

 

For the misfits of Skid Row, life is full of broken dreams and dead ends. But there’s hope on the horizon for flower shop assistant, Seymour, when he discovers a mysterious new plant with killer potential. Will his newfound fame and fortune win the attention of kind, sweet, delicate Audrey? Can he finally break free and be happy…whatever the consequences?

Marc Antolin and Jemima Rooper (Death in Paradise, Trauma) play Seymour and Audrey, with Forbes Massonin the role of East Side florist Mr Mushnik. Matt Willis (Busted) takes the role of sadistic dentist Orin, and the plant, Audrey II, is played by U.S. drag queen Vicky Vox.

www.OpenAirTheatre.com | 0844 826 4242

THE NATIONAL THEATRE PRODUCTION OF NETWORK WILL TRANSFER TO BROADWAY IN NOVEMBER 2018

It is announced today that the National Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of NETWORK, adapted by Lee Hall from the Academy-Award winning film by Paddy Chayefsky, directed by Ivo van Hove, and featuring Bryan Cranston as news anchor Howard Beale, will transfer to Broadway this autumn for a limited 18 week run.

NETWORK will begin performances at the Cort Theatre on Saturday 10 November 2018 and officially open on Thursday 6 December. Further casting will be announced shortly.

NETWORK is produced on Broadway by David Binder, the National Theatre, Patrick Myles, David Luff, Ros Povey and Lee Menzies.

Howard Beale (Bryan Cranston, in the performance that won him the 2018 Olivier Award for Best Actor in Play), news anchor-man, isn’t pulling in the viewers. In his final broadcast he unravels live on screen. But when ratings soar, the network seizes on their newfound populist prophet, and Howard becomes the biggest thing on TV. NETWORK depicts a media landscape where opinion trumps fact. Hilarious and hair-raising by turns, the iconic film by Paddy Chayefsky won four Academy Awards in 1976.

NETWORK received its world premiere at the National Theatre on 13 November 2017. The NT’s recent Broadway transfers include ANGELS IN AMERICA, winner of three Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Play, THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, which won five Tony Awards including Best Play, ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS, WAR HORSE, the winner of six Tony Awards including Best Play, and THE HISTORY BOYS, winner of six Tony Awards including Best Play. PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS transferred to St Ann’s Warehouse for a limited run in October 2017. THE JUNGLE, a co-production with Good Chance Theatre and the Young Vic set in the sprawling refugee camp in Calais, France, will transfer to St Ann’s Warehouse in December 2018.

The original creative team will return for the Broadway run of NETWORK, with scenic and lighting design by Jan Versweyveld, video design by Tal Yarden, costume design by An D’Huys, and music and sound design by Eric Sleichim.

Lisa Burger, NT Executive Director said: “We’re thrilled that NETWORK will transfer to Broadway in November, following its ground-breaking run here at the National Theatre. It’s particularly exciting for the NT to continue the theatrical dialogue with audiences in New York following Angels in America’s recent Broadway run. We look forward to the production – and Bryan’s incredible performance – astonishing and galvanising audiences in New York, just as it did in London this year.”

The producers of NETWORK at the Cort Theatre said: “We are excited as hell to bring Ivo van Hove’s brilliantly innovative and electrifying production of NETWORK to Broadway this fall. The incomparable Bryan Cranston brings Howard Beale to brilliant life and we are so thrilled for American audiences to have the opportunity to experience his masterful performance and this spectacular new play.”

Lee Hall’s credits include Billy Elliot, Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, and The Pitmen Painters. Ivo van Hove is the Artistic Director of Toneelgroep Amsterdam. His credits include Hedda Gabler(National Theatre), Lazarus, A View From The Bridge and The Crucible on Broadway. Bryan Cranston previously appeared on Broadway in All the Way, for which he won the Tony for Best Actor, on television in Breaking Bad and the film Trumbo for which he was nominated for an Oscar.

American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets from Wednesday 5 September at 10am (EST) until Wednesday 12 September at 9.59am (EST) by visiting www.Telecharge.com or calling (00) +1 212-239-6200. Presale tickets are available to Audience Rewards members from Wednesday 12 September at 10am (EST) to Friday 14 September at 9.59am (EST) www.audiencerewards.com.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday 14 September at 10am.

For more information visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk or www.NetworkBroadway.com
Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube at @NetworkBway and @nationaltheatre

Not Dead Yet is on at Space on North Bridge as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018 @ 14:40 daily until 11th August 2018. For further information, please visit edfringe.com

4 stars for a very good show

Reviewed by Debs Baird

@debschebbs

Starring: Peter Cockerhill

Director: Andrew Harrison

Playwright: Rob Wilson

Technical: Lex Woodhouse

Production Manager: Sylvia Wilson

Woolly Sheep Theatre Company are back at Edinburgh Fringe with their new play ‘Not dead yet’

Alzheimers affects an increasingly large section of the population, and its Dementia’s most common disease.

Not Dead Yet is one man show which guides you between Diego’s coffee emporium and the life and mind of ‘your loving Dad, Tom’. Music and memories are often strongly linked, Diego plays you a variety of tracks throughout and invites you to consider the link between the tracks. Tom spends his days writing emails to his son in sunny South Carolina about Gran and her worsening dementia. What is memory loss like for the sufferer and is it worse for the loved ones looking on? With an ageing population this disease is set to rise dramatically, the more we know and understand about it the better.

Not Dead Yet is a sad yet humorous tale that so many of us can relate to and is on daily at Space on North Bridge until the 11th Aug.

Park Theatre, London – Until 1st September 2018.

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

3***

This is a predictable, not unfamiliar storyline. The benefit of that is believable characters. Kevin Tomlinson’s Mark, slipped in and out of good guy bad guy effortlessly. He was the epitome of victim become perpetrator. Abigail Hood portrayed Leah’s vulnerability and quiet optimism beautifully. Her character was taught to be a victim early on in life, desperate for a father figure, smart enough to want something more and didn’t know how to do that. Tom (Adam Morris), a Dad torn apart by the disappearance of his beloved daughter, is trying to make sense of a bad situation. Morris plays him convincingly as a lost soul that cares too much. Gill (Tracey Wilkinson), a mother who is wounded to the core, has lost trust even in her own judgement. Wilkinson overplayed the part but gave welcome relief to an otherwise bland dialogue. Tom and Leah find in one another the missing parts, father and daughter, that helps begin to heal their lives, and somehow things make more sense when they are around each other. Unfortunately it makes absolutely no sense to anyone else, who all believe the worst of their relationship.

The minimal props gave just enough detail to build the picture of living room, sea front, cafe etc

The moving about of the stripped back set was a little clumsy at times. The boxes could at least have grip handles for easier repositioning.

There is a fine balance between producing a play that is believable, realistic and over simplifying the dialogue. Abigail Hood has done a good job of bringing the characters to life, however some of the richness has been taken out of the dialogue by keeping it too real. The audience knows this story, it has been repeated many times over. That doesn’t detract from the necessity to keep telling it, but it does mean you have got to give people a reason to see this version.

Brunel Tunnel, Rotherhithe, London  – until Saturday 11th August 2018.

Reviewed by Antonia Hebbert

2**

In 1843 you could pay a penny to descend a 50 foot shaft into the first tunnel under the Thames. Scraped out by miners dodging methane flames and sewage, it was the ‘eighth wonder of the world’, designed by Marc Brunel and his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel – who nearly drowned when the Thames broke through and roared up the shaft.

Now the tunnel shaft is a deep, dry, bare concrete performance space, where shows are eerily accompanied by the rumble of subterranean trains. You might think there would be lots of potential here to evoke the deep, dark Indian jungle, for an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. But you would be disappointed: the potential is lost in this uninventive production, directed by Jessica Jane, and oddly lacking in theatrical magic. On the good side, the cast are very enthusiastic and throw themselves into their roles. Joe Newton is sleek and authoritative as Bagheera, Maximilian L’Olive is convincingly crazed as Tabaqui the jackal, and Joanna Harker achieves a fine roaring tone as Shere Khan, a role she stepped into at the last minute. There are some moments: singing, chanting and other music are atmospheric in this resonant space. But there is an awful lot of naturalistic talking that is hard to hear and hard to follow. The script (Joe Newton) is sometimes very faithful to Kipling’s book (where interactions between jungle animals are rather formal and serious), and sometimes wildly different and sentimental – more like the Walt Disney version but without the colour, coherence or fun. It gets clunkier towards the end, when Tabaqui’s life is saved – what?? That sound you hear isn’t a train, it is Kipling spinning in his grave.

The Brunel’s had many false starts, and perhaps deep in this play there is the making of something good. But the miners need to get back to work with their little spades, and do a lot, lot more digging.

The first look images of Alexandra Burke as Roxie Hart in CHICAGO, she joins the cast on Monday 13 August, playing through to 14 October

Alexandra Burke will join Martin Kemp as Billy Flynn, Mazz Murray as Mama Morton, Josefina Gabrielle as Velma Kelly and Paul Rider as Amos Hart.  Martin Kemp will be staying in the London production of CHICAGO until 1 September 2018. CHICAGO is booking at the Phoenix Theatre until 5 January 2019.

CHICAGO, which is based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, has a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The Broadway revival of CHICAGO was choreographed by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse, directed by Walter Bobbie and produced by Barry and Fran Weissler.

CHICAGO originally ran in London for 15 years, making it the West End’s longest running revival. CHICAGO has won six Tony Awards, two Olivier awards  and a Grammy. CHICAGO continues to run on Broadway, where it recently celebrated its 21st birthday, and around the world in multiple langues. It is the world’s longest running American musical.

 

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Phoenix Theatre

110 Charing Cross Road

London WC2H 0JP

Box Office: 0844 871 7629 / www.atgtickets.com/shows/chicago/phoenix-theatre

Ticket Prices: From £20.00

Performances: Monday-Saturday 7.30pm, Wednesday & Saturday 2.30pm

Booking Period: Booking Until 5 January 2019

Running Time: 2 hours, 25 minutes (with interval)

Website: ChicagoWestEnd.com

Twitter: @ChicagoOnStage

REHEARSALS BEGIN FOR 

Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s musical

COMPANY

Directed by Marianne Elliott

PHOTOGRAPHS OF FIRST DAY OF REHEARSALS RELEASED TODAY

Gielgud Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London

Previews from 26 September 2018

Opening Night 17 October 2018

 

Rehearsals for Marianne Elliott’s highly anticipated new production of George Furth and Stephen Sondheim’s COMPANY which opens at the Gielgud Theatre from 26 September 2018 began today (Monday 6 August 2018). Cast members including Rosalie Craig (Bobbie), Patti LuPone (Joanne), Mel Giedroyc (Sarah), Jonathan Bailey (Jamie) and Richard Fleeshman (Andy) listened to Marianne’s plans for the show and had a first look at Bunny Christie’s designs.

The complete cast for COMPANY is:  Rosalie Craig as Bobbie, Patti LuPone as Joanne, Mel Giedroyc as Sarah, Jonathan Bailey as Jamie, George Blagden as PJ, Ashley Campbell as Peter, Richard Fleeshman as Andy, Alex Gaumond as Paul, Richard Henders as David, Ben Lewis as Larry, Daisy Maywood as Susan, Jennifer Saayeng as Jenny, Matthew Seadon-Young as Theo and Gavin Spokes as Harry.  Joining them are:  Michael Colbourne, Francesca Ellis, Ewan Gillies, Grant Neal and Jaimie Pruden.

At Bobbie’s 35^thbirthday party all her friends are wondering why she isn’t married; why she can’t find the right man and why she hasn’t settled down to have a family. The multi-award winning musical comedy about life, love and marriage includes Stephen Sondheim’s iconic songs, The Ladies who Lunch, Being Alive, Side by Side and You Could Drive a Person Crazy.

Marianne Elliott, Artistic Director of Elliott & Harper Productions, a company she founded in 2016 with producer Chris Harper, was awarded an OBE in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List for her services to theatre. Elliott is the first woman in Broadway history to win two Tony Awards for Best Director and her recent Broadway transfer of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America received the 2018 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.  Angels in America at the National Theatre also received the 2018 Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Play. Marianne’s ground-breaking production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time received 7 Olivier Awards in London, including Best New Play and Best Director and 5 Tony Awards for its run on Broadway, including Best Play and Best Director and continues to tour internationally. Her production of Saint Joan earned her the Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Play and Pillars of the Community earned her the Evening Standard Award for Best Director.  War Horse, which she co-directed, and has been seen by over 7 million people world-wide, and is on its second UK tour.

Joining director Marianne Elliott on the creative team for Company are:  choreographer Liam Steel, designer, musical supervisor and conductor Joel Fram, Bunny Christie, lighting designer Neil Austin, sound designer Ian Dickinson (for Autograph Sound), illusions designer Chris Fisher, orchestrator David Cullen, dance arranger Sam Davis and casting directors Alastair Coomer CDG and Charlotte Sutton CDG.

 

The producers for Company at the Gielgud Theatre are: Elliott & Harper Productions,Catherine Schreiber, Grove Entertainment, Jujamcyn Theaters, LD Entertainment, David Mirvish, Aged in Wood Productions/Ricardo Hornos, Bob Boyett/Tom Miller, Bruno Wang Productions/Salman Al-Rashid, Across the Pond Theatricals/Trio Theatricals and Greek Street Productions/Christopher Ketner.

Cinderella at Hull New Theatre – The Chuckle Brothers

Everyone at Hull New Theatre was saddened this weekend to learn of the passing of Barry ‘Chuckle’ Elliot who, along with his Brother Paul, made-up the legendary comedy double-act The Chuckle Brothers

The Chuckle Brothers have been an important part of the New Theatre’s heritage, having performed at the venue many times since 1995, including as stars of the Theatre’s fabulous 2012 pantomime Sleeping Beauty and more recently in their own children’s touring productions.

We know how much Hull and our wider audiences were looking forward to seeing Barry and Paul in Cinderella this Christmas.

Hull New Theatre’s manager, Janice Wincott said:

“The thoughts of us all at Hull New Theatre are with Barry’s family and friends at this time.

Audiences can be reassured that Cinderella will proceed as scheduled and in honour of Barry we will be working closely with our pantomime producer Qdos Entertainment to focus on making this year’s show a spectacle of family-friendly comedy featuring the very best of panto tradition.

We are also currently working closely with Qdos Entertainment to announce a revised star line-up for Cinderella and will share casting news as soon as possible.”

Nick Thomas, chairman of Qdos Entertainment said:

“Barry’s passing is a tragic loss to the pantomime art-form and the world of entertainment. The warmth and versatility of The Chuckle Brothers’ comedy has kept them relevant to generations of TV viewers and theatregoers.

We know how important pantomime is to so many people in Hull and we’re working closely with the theatre to make sure this year’s New Theatre show lives up to the long tradition of brilliant festive productions at the venue. We will share further casting news over coming weeks.”

Cinderella opens at Hull New Theatre on Thursday 6 December.

Official statement from The Chuckle Brothers management

“We are devastated to confirm that Barry Chuckle the veteran television and theatre entertainer has died at the age of 73.”

A statement from his manager Phil Dale said:

“It is with great sadness that the family announce that Barry passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his wife Ann and all his family.

Barry with Paul had recently filmed a new series titled ChuckleTime for Ch5 and he said it was just like the wonderful days of filming ChuckleVision for BBC1.

Barry hadn’t been well towards the end of the filming and summer work was cancelled whilst he rested at his doctor’s request. Unfortunately, not long after this, his health deteriorated.

The family would like to express their thanks to the many people who have been fans of The Chuckle Brothers and they know that they will share in part, the great, great loss they feel.

Paul added ‘I’ve not just lost my brother; I’ve lost my theatrical partner of many, many years and my very best friend.’

There will be no further comment at the moment and it would be much appreciated if the privacy of Barry’s family is respected at this most difficult time.”